The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-04
FOREWARNED OF A ROBBERY.
A Confidant of Conspirators Who Re-
yealed Their Plans in Advance.
A Suspected Stranger Who Told Agent Hen
derson Of the Big st. Louis Express Rob-
berry Nineteen Days Before 1t Occurred.


I'm the investigation of the St Louis express
robbery" said John j. Henderson, agent of
the Adams express in this city, "a great many
clews of suspected persons were given the COM
pany Among these curious one from
this place. About the first Of last October l no.
tced a man about the depot whose movements
were very suspicious. He was there day after
day, morning, noon and night and could see
that he was furtively watching the movements
Of the messengers and others. thought he
must be thief or was piping for some one. l
pointed him out to the men, one after
another. I finally thought I would make
his acquaintance went to MIN
and asked if he was looking
for work. He said he was carpenter; didn't
want steady work, but would like do do odd
jobs. / promised TO see what / could do for
him. After that / had several talks with him
and gained bis confidence. Finally he told me
that he was acquainted with number of prom
inent thieves, some of whom had been engaged
in express robberies in Missouri, Kansas and
Texas. One noted thief of this kind had been
a comrads of his in the army. At length he
told me that he understood there was reward
of $4,000 for this man, who came to this city
| occasionally, and when he came made his, the
carpenters, house his headquarters. This
whilom express robber, he said, had grown
| elderly, and was now one of gang engaged in
horse-stealing and store breaking in Jennings,
| Ripley and other counties in southern Indiana.
He wanted to know of me If there was any way
| to work it to give up these men and get the re-
| ward l told him had no recollection of anv
reward being offered for such person, but
could inquire. The next night saw him at the
| depot, about 10 o'clock. He seemed to be wait
| ing for the Big -Four train to come up. He took
me to one side and told me he had important in
| formation, and that must never give him away.
| HE then said an arran cement had been made
| to rob an express car. Bear in mind" said Mr..
| Henderson, pausng in his narrative, that it
| was on the 7th day of October that this con-
| versation occurred. He said that two of the
| men who were to commit the robbery were those
he had been talking Of; that information was to
| be furnished by the express messenger as to
| when he would have a heavy run of money He
| said messenger was in this scheme and that
| the robbery would occur in two weeks He said
it would happen St Louis. and would be in
| q car occupied solely by the express company
not mixed mail and express car. My carpenter
friend could not tell the road or the express
company to be robbed, except that it would
be near St Louis The names of the
men who had been here, but who had
gone away again, / recognized as old express
thieves, and, while doubling very much
municate with our superintendent at st. Louis.
| also wrote to C. T. Campbell, of the Texas ex-
press, and L. A. Fuller, superintendent of the Pa
cihc express. William H. Damsel, superintendent
of the Adams express. replied that he did not rec
ognize the names sent him, and had turned nv
letter over to a detective agency in St. Louis.
The agency answered that they recognized the
| names, and if the men were wanted to let them
know. Mr.. Fuller of the Pacific express, re-
| piled that the names were recogniZed-that they
were not engaged in any robbery of the Pacific
but he thought they were connected with rob
berry, years ago. of the Texas express Mr.
Campbell. of the Texas replied that one of the
names was that of man connected with a gang
operating in Texas that had robbed the Texas
express; that five of the gang had been killed
one had gone to States prison for long term
and this one had been wounded and supposed t
be dead, but by careful nursing had, 1t seems
recovered that if we had him in Indiana to keeI
him here. for it was SO long since the robbery
had occurred it would be difficult to get evidence
together again.
my depot acquaintance told me that one 0
the men of whom he spoke had been wounded
ard then carried pistol ball in his body. No
hearing anything more and thinking the who'll
affair q story of the cock and-bu variety,
3 filed all the correspondence away. On the 26tl
Of October, nineteen days after, my depot &C
quaintance made his disclosures, the new
came of the robbery of $4,000 on the Adam
: express on the Frisco road near st. Louis
e then made bundle Of all the papers l had
q correspondence and all. and sent it over to tn
ADAMS superintendent at 81. LOUIS, VINO, IL
0 turn, submitted it to Mr.. Pinkertop. The mni
0 tiers talked of by this man here almost tale
r | in time and place with the facts in the robber
!, at ST Louis. especially in the manner Of dom
J. it, Pinkerton detailed one of his best men t
Q come here. He stayed week, and found gu
J. great deal about the operations Of these tw
J. men in Indiana, but could not connect ther
e with the Frisco robbery clews leading in al
j. other and more probable direction having turne
: up.
y Now don't know whether to call this a CT
e incidence what to call it. Certain it is, ir
It formation that the robbery was to occur Wa
% sent quite while before it did take place. Al
IS other thing. Fotherngham. the express me-
e senger. from whom the money was taken b
. Jim Cummings describes to dot the appea
10 ance of one Of the men whose names were give
y me by my carpenter friend. who not cor
t. cerned in the robbery at all. My opinion
is there were two sets of thieves each planning
robbery to take place express car runnin
into St Louis. Each had about the same pla,
and the two gangs working each wthou
, knowledge of the other, and Jim Cumming
- got in first One of the two men given away
y me by my acquaintance is now in the Jail
Lebanon charge of burglary, l believe ar
the other and more dangerous man is still
large. It's queer, though, isn't ita"
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